West Coast road trip - help with itinerary

So I’ve finally managed to twist OH’s arms about doing a west coast road trip for his 30th! ^) It took a lot of work and in the end I offered to pay for it…

Flights booked – I actually managed to reserve 2 Gs on the LHR-SFO and LAX-LHR for decent dates, but having found ex-DUB tickets for exactly the dates we wanted at only £412 (total for both) extra, with the additional miles and miles saved from the M-G, it actually works out to be effectively buying FC miles at a mere 0.35 pence per mile! :0 I found this extraordinary given the value M-G offers. So ex-DUB it is! I should add here that I spent a couple of days oohing and arring about maybe using my companion voucher for either an M or an S, and then upgrade the birthday boy to a G… the saving was quite appealing, and frankly this could’ve been one of my only opportunities to get some value out of the companion voucher. In the end, however, the UC was just too appealing, and I couldn’t stand the thought of me sitting at the back away from the OH when he is pampered, fed and watered in UC… v(

I’m sure this has been mentioned already, but when I was going through the booking on expedia, no fee was charged for using my VS black CC as expedia thinks I’m in Ireland. Bonus. ^)

Right, now to the actual planning. Expedia is offering me some decent hotel discounts between those days if I make a booking in the next 9 days, so I’d quite like to take advantage of that. I’ll be booking only hotels with a free cancellation policy, just to leave us some flexibility. I would still like to roughly pin down the itinerary though for the road trip, so I thought I’d share my draft version with the fellow v-flyers. I know a few of you have done this stretch already so would appreciate your views on this:

1. Sat – Drive to LHR, fly out on BA to DUB first thing. Enjoy a day at Dublin and fly back at 9pm. Drive back home and sleep.

2. Sun – Taxi to DTCI at T3 for the VS19. CH, flight, and arrive in SFO late pm.

3. Mon – Explore San Francisco. We’ve been there on a short stop before so will probably just walk around and enjoy the lovely atmosphere there. Might pay a visit to the Alcatraz (not done previously).

4. Tues – Pick up rental car and drive to Yosemite. Visit Mariposa Grove on the way. Stay in the national park

5. Weds – Yosemite all day and stay in the park again

6. Thurs – Yosemite and drive back towards San Fran. Stay around Half Moon Bay, south of the city, ready for our southbound drive.

7. Fri – Santa Cruz and Monterey. Stay in Monterey

8. Sat – Carmel, Point Lobos, pebble beach. Stay in Cambria or maybe Paso Robles?

9. Sun – Hearst Castle, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Santa Barbara. Stay in Santa Barbara.

10. Mon – LA (Camarillo Premium Outlets…! It’s not all about the OH. )

11. Tues – LA

12. Weds – drive from LA to Vegas. Currently considering whether we should go via Palm Springs and the Joshua Tree National Park. It takes longer but might be nicer? Maybe stay in Palm Springs the day before? Would like to get to Vegas early enough to catch a show, though.

13. Thurs – Vegas baby (by the way, OH doesn’t think he will like Vegas as it’s so OTT but I’m hoping he will realise when he’s there that he’s being silly)

14. Fri – Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim bright and early. Hike, watch sunset and stay in the park.

15. Sat – Sunrise in the Grand Canyon, explore further and drive back to Vegas

16. Sun – Enjoy the morning in Vegas and it’s time to get on the VS44 and fly back.

So what do you think? Is spending almost 3 days in Yosemite a bit too long given we only have 2 weeks there? Is spending less than 2 whole days in LA far too short? Is Joshua Trees National Park worth the detour? Any tips would be much appreciated. y)

Well, for Yosemite, that's 2 nights, one of which you've just driven on. We did that and that was fine, certainly not too long.

I'm not a big fan of LA, 3 days was just enough for me before, with no plans to go back. But if you like it, you might want more.

Hi MrsW
I can't comment pre-L.A as I've no experience of this area.
I would suggest Palm Springs is worth the detour.
Maybe leave L.A and drive to Palm Springs on afternoon/evening day 11. It's not that far but as I recall, not too much to see en route. Then you could spend day 12 in Palm Springs - the aerial tramway is definitely worth doing. We drove from Palm Springs to Las Vegas thru the desert (partly on route 66) in the summer which we really enjoyed but given the distance involved maybe better to start this on day 13 fresh in the morning. Also if you took this route maybe better to do in daylight (for better views/wouldn't want to breakdown at night). But at the same time, if it's first visit to Vegas I wouldn't suggest cutting down time there so maybe better to find an extra day earlier in the schedule to fit Palm Springs in. Sounds like you will have a great trip!

To tips from here would be;

1. Take the evening Alcatraz tour. Book before you go regardless.

2. Visit http://www.madonnainn.com/

3. If driving south on Highway 1, allow enough time. Driving can be quite slow as it is quite twisty and there are towns en route that reduce your average speed.

4. Try to split LA into a series of things to see and then determine whether you've enough time. So, Santa Monica / Venice Beach / Graumann's Chinese Theatre & Walk of Fame / Getty Museum / Universal? Again, allow enough time as most of the roads act as car parks for much of the time.

5. Joshua Tree is a far more interesting route than via Barstow.

6. Unlike many V-Flyers, I found Palm Springs uninteresting.

Have a great time.

Hi PJH
I'm going to SF/Calif next year. Was interested in link on the Madonna Inn. Is it worth going too? Please can you give us any more detail on this?
Thanks

Hi PJH
I'm going to SF/Calif next year. Was interested in link on the Madonna Inn. Is it worth going too? Please can you give us any more detail on this?
Thanks

It's worth a visit for a coffee and cake. Terms like "kitsch" and "over the top" don't do it justice.

That sounds like a great trip and I've pretty much done everything you include. Regarding your questions I'd say two full days in Yosemite will be plenty, unless you want to include places like Lake Tahoe. On Palm Springs / Joshua Tree factor in that LA to PS is 2-3 hrs by car, PS-LV is about 5 hrs by car, so this will be a full day especially if you want to linger in Joshua Tree (which is worth it by the way). While I love Palm Springs it is more a place to chill than fly by, perhaps one of the lodges by the park might be better but if not there are some great places to overnight in PS depending on your budget then dine in a great restaurant!

As for LA two full days will be plenty - for such a huge sprawl there's surprisingly little to actually do, once you've exhausted the usual things that is. I recommend the Getty Museum over the villa, stunning views, Santa Monica, have lunch at the Blvd at the Regent Beverly Wiltshire Hotel, a bit of Rodeo Drive, but you might like a day spent eating, drinking and shopping in one of LA's nice neighbourhoods like Los Feliz.

defo do Alcatraz night trip rather than day as you 'see' more and its more atmospheric, book on-line before you go as someone else posted. Joshua Tree a bit boring imho but others may disagree. Allow plenty of time driving the Coastal Road as you will be wanting to stop off at places advertised that you never thought of (like vineyards!) In LA book coach trips (you can get quite intimate ones - not too many people)rather than attempt driving places yourself - you get into places directly rather than having to spend time looking for parking. Rodeo Drive a must, just to see how the other half live!
Have a great time.

To tips from here would be;

1. Take the evening Alcatraz tour. Book before you go regardless.

y) y) y) y) y) y)

I second this. The Night tour (if available) is far better than the day time one (though slightly more expensive). Less people allowed on the island and they do extra talks as well as the self guided tour of the prison wing.

When I last did it we were allowed into the hospital wing (not open during the day) which was interesting (if a little scary).

Thanks all for your helpful insight and the good wishes. I’m very much looking forward to the trip and am already counting down to it!

@Smid – It’s helpful to get your reassurance on the Yosemite part. I’m also considering driving directly from Yosemite to maybe a little south of Half Moon Bay, around Santa Cruz or Monterey, which will probably save us half a day driving to Half Moon Bay and down the coast to Monterey. Re LA, do you remember how you split your 3 days by any chance?

@VirginAUflyer – thank you for your advice on the second half of the tour. I think we will maybe stay in Palm Springs one evening, and then do the aerial tramway in the morning before heading off to Joshua Trees. Actually I realised that it might be better to head from Joshua Trees straight to Grand Canyon South Rim, as opposed to going via Vegas. Then we can have a couple of solid days in Vegas. Having done a bit of research on hotels I’m amazed by how much further your money goes with the hotels! I think with any luck we might be able to conclude the trip at a really nice hotel before heading back on UC!

@Pjh – we hadn’t considered taking an evening Alcatraz tour – that sounds very interesting. Don’t worry, I’m the queen of booking things in advance (can you tell? ): ) We will definitely allow sufficient time on the Hwy 1.
I think I will need to do a bit more research on LA, and then rejig our itinerary to accommodate the different neighbourhoods. Actually, I’m flying with VS this Friday so will be sure to check out their city guides on Vera (I love these, and with 4 holidays booked to VS destinations next year, that could keep me entertained for the whole flight!)

@Slinky – I feel less concerned about the 2 nights in Yosemite now, thank you for the reassurance. As above I think the new plan is that we’ll stay in PS, have a morning there, visit Joshua Tree and stay in Twentynine Springs (maybe) before driving directly to Grand Canyon rather than via Vegas. That’ll save us some time, and also allow us to spend a more solid time in Vegas.
As you’ve done pretty much all the things on the itinerary – may I ask what your highlights/favourite places are?
Thank you also for the information on LA.

@Snomo – thank you for your advice. We have pencilled in Paso Robles for vineyards, as it’s sort of en-route and apparently is quite nice. That’s interesting about the coach trips in LA – I shall check those out!

@tonty - yes it sounds like the evening tour is a must

To tips from here would be;

1. Take the evening Alcatraz tour. Book before you go regardless.

We're ending our tour in SFO and the evening Alcatraz tour is on my list to book - I've heard they sell out quite quickly due to the restricted numbers.

We're driving from LA to Vegas too - but planning to do it in a leisurely day - once hubby has found his "Muscle Car" ):

You are certainly trying to pack a lot in to very little days. WE have done pretty much everything you are planning to do but in two separate trips. Yosemite depending on how much you want to see, hike etc will take time to do it all, we hiked up to the waterfall, down to the huge sequoia tress, bridal veil and drove a lot as well it is exhausting and took us at least two full days and we stayed just outside the park entrance.

The Pacific coast highway is wonderful but as others have said very twisty and turns, you will see whats over the edge hubby may not, pebble peach 17 mile drive is good, and Hearst Castle is about half a day depending on what tour you go on, worth the visit though, fascinating place.

Nothing else to add to San Fran, we did Alcatraz and the bus tour and of course the trollies, pier 39 etc, china town and the central shopping area good.

Palm Springs is good very nice and gentile, good eating places and accommodation, the aircraft museum was good and the aerial ride is a must but make sure its clear up there before you go. Personally did not think Joshua Tree was up to much loads of well trees and not much else. Don't know which way you will come into PS but the sight of all those wind turbines will stick with you never seen so many in my life, must have been hundreds.

The trip to Grand Canyon is quite boring from PS and a long way, you will enjoy Vegas lots to see we have been over 20 times and we don't gamble, never get tired of the place. Hubby will have a lot of driving to do and it can get very exhausting so don't know whether you are going to share the load.

I am sure you will have a fabulous time, we would love to do many places again. One more thing we stayed at The Harbour Inn Hotel in Santa Barbara and can thoroughly recommend it, superb restaurant as well. Lin

We did a similar trip last year with only 1 day in Yosemite, it was not long enough, wish we had stayed for 2. Would definately drive straight from Yosemite to Santa Cruz, we did it and it took about 4 hours, not worth splitting the journey.
2 days in LA will be fine, if you plan what you want to see in advance. We stayed in Laguna and drove into LA for the day, we did a private tour with LA insider tours and it turned out to be one of the best tours we have ever been on, can highly recommend.
You will have a great time, California is amazing, so varied. One of my favourite things was zip lining in the redwoods just outside Santa Cruz, being so high gives you a different perspective on the redwoods Also loved seeing the blue whales on a boat trip out of Dana Point.
Typing this has made me want to go back.

OK, so my post yesterday with the updated itinerary was amongst the ones that disappeared into a black hole due to the database crash, but it’s just as well as I’ve tweaked it once again anyway. Thanks for all of you who have commented y) ; I think I caught all the comments before some of them went missing.

So here’s the latest, and I would be interested in your thoughts. A few things have been rejigged – with Palm Springs and Joshua Tree cut (apparently end of Sept isn’t the best time to visit Joshua Tree), Mariposa Grove cut (as it’ll be temporarily closed when we visit, but I’ve added a different big tree experience), Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz cut, and the order of the coastal sights rejigged as I was a bit confused as to where they were along the route.

@Lin – I think you are right. We are already trying to pack a lot into the 2 weeks, so I’ve taken a few things out to concentrate on the bigger and better things. I don’t want us to rush around (with me constantly saying to the birthday boy “chop chop, we are 23 minutes behind schedule”), and would want us to enjoy it and have some time to practise our photography skills (what better place to do that!).

1 Sat Dublin

2 Sun DTCI, CH, VS19 to SFO. A light walk in the evening (depending on how drunk/hangover we feel from the flight... ): ) followed by an early night.

3 Mon San Fran - walk around; Alcatraz evening tour

4 Tues Pick up rental car and set off to Yosemite in the morning. [accommodation booked ^) ! See below]

5 Weds Yosemite all day [accommodation booked! See below]

6 Thurs Yosemite and drive to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (big tree experience to soften the Mariposa Grove blow), and stroll along Santa Cruz. Head to Monterey and stay there

7 Fri Monterey, 17-miles down Pebble Beach, Carmel, [Point Lobos if have time]. Stay in Monterey again

8 Sat (OH’s birthday) [Point Lobos], Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park, Hearst Castle, [Paso Robles?]. Stay in Cambria (along Moonstone beach?)

9 Sun [Paso Robles?], short stop at Madonna Inn, Santa Barbara (lunch/wineries nearby?), Camarillo Premium Outlets :X (closes at 9pm). Stay in LA somewhere

10 Mon LA – TBC

11 Tues LA – TBC

12 Weds Drive to Vegas (or straight to Grand Canyon?) ?|

13 Thurs [Vegas]

14 Fri [Drive to Grand Canyon first thing]

15 Sat [Grand Canyon, drive to Vegas via Hoover Dam]

16 Sun Vegas/fly back on the VS44 to LGW

On where to stay in Yosemite, it gave me some headache. I wanted to be in the National Park and as close to the valley itself as possible, but I really struggled to find anything affordable other than camping :0 . Following some of your advice, I had a look at Yosemite View and Wawona, both of which are a short drive away, and also stumbled across a little B&B next to Yosemite View, for a reasonable $200 per day (plus taxes) but without free cancellation. I was just about to go for that, but checked the national park website again and found that Curry Village, which offers mainly tents and cabins (with one side of canvas?), also has a few motel style rooms in a Stoneman House, also at around $200 per night with free cancellation. I couldn’t say no and snapped it up straight away! I’m really glad to have got that as having never camped in my life, I just didn’t fancy being bothered by bugs, bears (?!) and/or having to share bathrooms and have group shower :0 . As it turned out I am more of a princess than I thought :X

Also on the accommodation front, I’ve tried, where possible, to allow us to stay in the same hotel for 2 nights in a row rather than a different one every night. I think it’ll be more relaxed that way. ][|)

I would still be grateful for some additional help, please, on a couple of particular points:

1) One of the things that OH is keen to do is to visit the “wine country”, and I had pencilled in Paso Robles rather than Napa as it’s en-route, and also apparently more relaxed. I also hear that there might be places near Santa Barbara. Any experience in these places? What would you recommend?

2) As we’ve cut out Palm Springs, we would essentially be driving from LA to Grand Canyon. I’ve currently got Vegas in between (and then Vegas again for the last evening before heading back) to break up the long drive, and to give ourselves a few useful hours in Grand Canyon on the first day there. Would you recommend driving directly from LA to Vegas (in which case we would stay on the right side of LA the night before) instead? I can see the benefits in doing so, but do worry about the long drive (I can “chip in”, but to be honest I would go as far as saying that I’m a terrible driver n( ), and not having much time there after the drive to explore.

All this planning is getting me quite excited about the trip! Next year is going to be really great :X

Thanks again guys y)

Mrsw, I also replied to you during the melt down on the site and had recommended the Yosemite View Hotel as its very close to the entrance and has a good restaurant and comfy beds, but as you have booked, and I do not do bugs or loud howling noises in the night, to be honest some of the camping areas you couldn't have paid me to be in there.
The drive to Vegas from LA is a piece of doddle as they say, once on the I-15 your straight all the way, the tricky bit is getting out of LA we have been doing it so often we have got it down to a fine art now. Plenty of places to stop for a bite to eat in Barstow and Baker on route, its quite boring but you do cross the Sierras i think, you will hit north Vegas and there are a few exits to it depending on where you are staying. Its about 4 hours plus with stops, so not too bad. Anything else just ask. Lin

p.s we did sunrise and sunset in the Grand Canyon still amazing.

Thanks again Lin.

I did read your comment about the Yosemite View Lodge before it disappeared, which is what prompted me to look at the B&B next to it, too.

I think I found the right compromise in the end - a motel sort of room (with actual walls!) with a private bathroom right in the middle of the action 8D Pretty pleased with myself.

Do you have any recommendation on where to stay in Grand Canyon? I'm looking at the El Tovar or a rim lodge (with Canyon views) at the Bright Angel Lodge.

Hi Mrsw, hope your well.
I have done something similar twice before but had 17 days on the first trip and a month for the second time, which was great (although I forget to renew my DL so my Mrs had to do all the driving which can be a little scary in LA and going up and down mountains!)

Santa B was lovely but I am not sure about Wineries. On both trips we stayed at the Best Western in Napa which was lovely (and did not feel like a Best Western). Did a bit of ballooning, some bikes tours and have to say it is a delightful place to visit. If I was rich I would buy myself a wine business and lose some money! Felt safe on the push bike as everyone drove very Considerately.

I am going to suggest ditching driving from Vegas to the Canyon. Your going to save nearly half a day and there are lots of helicopter options from Vegas. Have done both and they are both great but if your trying to cram a lot in, it could be an option.

The drive from LA to Vegas is boring. Quiet fun to drive in LA if you avoid traffic but rest of the way is dessert. Arriving by Road into Vegas is cool though from about 15 miles out, you will see the Luxor light first. Would fly that section myself from Burbank as opposed to LAX, as LAX is a nightmare.

On the drive up Big Sur we stayed at Treebones, which has a bit of a camping feel to it but without the creepy crawlies etc, shared showers though but from memory it wasn't bad. Bring a torchlight for night and prepare to be without access to your phone for your stay due to the poor reception.

Alcatraz at night is a good choice, have to admit did not enjoy SF despite staying at 2 brilliant hotels (Mandarian and Ritz C) but I put that down to 4 days of rain!

One other place deserves a mention, Monument Valley. A bit off the beaten track but I have always wanted to visit. Simply amazing, driving around at dawn with nobody around and the sun hitting the rocks at different angles. I believe there are now 2 hotels in the park, don't expect great service or food but it is outstanding. For me far better than the Canyon and Yosemeti.

Hope your kitchen is coming along

And forgot to mention. Go and see "O" at the Bellagio. You won't regret. Can recommend the Palazzo as well to stay.

And forgot to mention. Go and see "O" at the Bellagio. You won't regret. Can recommend the Palazzo as well to stay.

Would recommend eating at The Sardine Factory, just above Cannery Row in Monterey.

An alternative to staying right in the Grand Canyon is Williams, a nice Route 66 town about 30 mins drive south. Stayed there last year and you can get a train up to the Canyon.

W.

Hi mrsw,

I have done a few West Coast trips, the most recent being last year which took in a lot of your destinations.
Here are some of my thoughts and comments on your itinerary.

1. Alcatraz evening tour is definitely worthwhile - the places takes on a completely different feel at dusk - can be very chilly though, so bring warm clothing!

2. Yosemite. I have stayed in the cabins in Curry Village once. They are perfectly fine. My only issue with curry village is the food offering. I would stock up on pastries etc for breakfast, as the breakfast offering is a large canteen style and can get quite chaotic. there's a nice little outdoor bar area for the evening though!
Try and get a reservation in the Mountain Room Restaurant at Yosemite Lodge for dinner - it's wonderful and reasonably priced.
Make sure you drive up to Glacier Point as the views are fantastic, and if you feel energetic on one of your full days, be sure to hike the Mist Trail. It's about a 5-6 hour round trip, fairly hard work at times but the scenery is fantastic.

3. Pacific Coast Highway is great southbound. Be sure to stop at plenty of the stopping points along the way - again fantastic scenery. Julia Pfeiffer Burns is fantastic - walk under the road to see the Falls onto the beach.
Another nice stop is Nepethene, have a coffee / lunch on the terrace. Further down, Ragged Point Inn is another good stop. they have a little restaurant / café, and great views of the coast.

4. We drove from Cambria up to Paso Robles and spent the evening there. It's a nice enough place, and there are lots of wineries. We had a great experience at the Robert Hall Winery, really good tour and tasting so would recommend that one. I can't remember the names of the others, but you can get a winery map online and do some research for what is on your route.

Hope this helps

Thanks again guys! Very helpful. I'm pleased to report that I have pinned down my (sorry, our) itinerary and taken advantage of the Expedia offer as much as I can thanks to your help-- I've booked 9 nights in total on Expedia with the flight+hotel offer (for some Vegas hotels, it gave me 60% off ^) - chose the Mirage for the 2 nights and then the Four Seasons for the last on the basis that we can have full use of their pool/spa facilities after check-out but before flying y) ) and also used a 10% off code y) . I also booked 3 nights in total in Yosemite and Grand Canyon, so that leaves us with a grand total of 2 nights left to book (in San Fran), and for that I'm actually thinking about trying out Airbnb for the first time.

I've noted down a lot of your suggestions and comments for what to do in various places.

Time to start planning the 2016 holidays... I'm kidding of course... sort of ):

2. Visit http://www.madonnainn.com/

We're staying at the Madonna Inn for a night when we do the same trip next year. I can't wait

We're ending our tour in SFO and the evening Alcatraz tour is on my list to book - I've heard they sell out quite quickly due to the restricted numbers.

We're driving from LA to Vegas too - but planning to do it in a leisurely day - once hubby has found his "Muscle Car" ):

Hertz do some good Muscle Cars in their Adrenaline Collection, in the past I have had a Dodge RT Challenger and a Limited Edition Penske GT Mustang (this car is awesome, infact I have booked it again for my Vegas trip over the New Year)

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/vehicleg ... Collection

Hertz do some good Muscle Cars in their Adrenaline Collection, in the past I have had a Dodge RT Challenger and a Limited Edition Penske GT Mustang (this car is awesome, infact I have booked it again for my Vegas trip over the New Year)

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/vehicleg ... Collection

Thanks Hull - I'd found the Adrenaline Collection & hubby had his heart seat on the Camaro SS convertible (being the only V8 convertible) but having spent the past two evenings on the phone to Hertz it turns out we can't book it as its a one way hire !

But thanks to the pointers from here I've booked a standard Mustang convertible through the Virgin website for £57 - there was no one way surcharge from California to Nevada y)